London: Burlington Arcade
Burlington Arcade, London
Burlington Arcade next door to the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, central London is a high-end shopping street and a forerunner of the modern department store.
The luxury shopping street is most famous for its jewelers and traders in antique silver.
History
Burlington Arcade was built in 1818 by the 1st Earl of Burlington, George Cavendish, the younger brother of William Cavendish, who had inherited Burlington House, where the Royal Academy is now located.
Designed by Samuel Ware, the arcade was from its outset a place where people of means could shop, free from the somewhat dangerous and dirty streets of London at that time.
The nearly 180 meter-long street opened in 1819 and was one of several covered shopping arcades that appeared in Europe in Paris, Milan and St. Petersburg at this time.
Similar such shopping streets in London include Kensington Arcade, Leadenhall Market, the Royal Arcade, Sicilian Avenue and Woburn Place. The Burlington Arcade, however, is the longest and also probably the grandest of them all. The street is still patrolled by beadles dressed in traditional frock coats and top hats.
Shops
Present tenants include bespoke watch makers Bell & Ross, watch brokers David Duggan, and jewelers Carat, Hancocks, and Susannah Lovis.
Clothing and accessory boutiques include Crockett & Jones and Baudoin & Lange for footwear, Lalique for crystal and glass and Strathberry and Kwanpen dealing in luxury leather goods and bags.
Access - how to get to Burlington Arcade
Burlington Arcade
51 Piccadilly, Mayfair
London, W1J 0QJ
Tel: 0207 493 1764
www: burlingtonarcade.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday 8 am to 6 pm; Sunday 11 am to 6 pm; Christmas Day Closed
The nearest tube stations are Piccadilly (Piccadilly Line & Bakerloo Line) and Green Park (Victoria Line, Piccadilly Line and Jubilee Line). Green Park is the nearest and less than 5 minutes away on foot.
London buses 6, 9, 14, 19, and 38 all stop outside the Royal Academy and Burlington Arcade.
There are several fine London pubs nearby including The Clarence, an 18th-century pub on Dover Street, and the Chequers Tavern on Duke Street near St James's Square.
Nearby
Located in central London, on Piccadilly, the Burlington Arcade is close to several other places of interest.
Across the street is Fortnum & Mason, one of London's most famous department stores. Piccadilly Arcade is similar to Burlington Arcade and opened in 1909. It runs between Piccadilly and Jermyn Street - the latter famous for its high-end, bespoke tailors.
Piccadilly Circus is opposite the tube station and also nearby are Christopher Wren's St James's Church and the iconic Ritz Hotel.
There are some very exclusive London hotels in the area including Brown's Hotel, Hotel Café Royal and Hotel Sofitel London St James.
See a listing of London hotels near Piccadilly in this area of the city.
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